1Questions with Did (past tense)
2Have - Present & Past Tense
3Present Perfect Tense
4Present Perfect Tense - Negative
5Present Perfect Tense - Questions
6The Comparative Form
7The Superlative Form
8Past Continuous Tense
9Past vs. The Past Continuous
10Modal Verbs
11Idiomatic Modal Verbs
12Perfect Modals
13Present Perfect Continuous Tense
14Perfect Modals Continuous
15Past Perfect Tense
16Direct and Indirect Quotations
17Present & Past Perfect Continuous
18Prepositional Phrases
19Future Continuous Tense
20Height and Weight
21Adverbs
22Comparative Adverbs
23Superlative Adverbs
24Intensifiers
RYellow Level Review, Part 1
RYellow Level Review, Part 2
Lesson One:Questions with Did (Review)
DidIteachyou any English?(Answer: Yes, you did.)
DidyoulearnEnglish?(Answer: Yes, I
did.)WheredidyoulearnEnglish?(Answer: I learned English at
school.)
Didheeatthestrawberries?(Yes, he did.)How manydidheeat?(He ate
four.)
Didsheeatice cream?(Yes, she did.)Wheredidshegetit?(Her mother
gave it to her.)
Didthe cat haveany food?(Yes, it did.)
Didwegoto school yesterday?(Yes, we did.)Whatdidwedo in
class?(We learned English)
you + I = we
Didyougoto school last week?(Yes, we did.)Whatdidyou study?(We
studied English.)
Didtheyeat any ice cream?(Yes, they did.)Wheredidtheyeatit?(They
ate it at the beach.)
"did" +the main verb(in the simple form) make a question.
Lesson TwoHave - Present and Past Tense
Present TensePast Tense
I haveWe haveI hadWe had
You haveYou haveYou hadYou had
He hasHe had
She hasThey haveShe hadThey had
It hasIt had
Examples:
Ihavea garden in my backyard.(present tense)Ihada garden in my
backyard last year, too.(past tense)
Youhavesome schoolwork to do.You alsohadsome work to do
yesterday.
Hehasa beehive full of bees.Hehada beehive when he was a
child.Doyouhaveany interest in bees?
Shehasa fear of spiders.Doyouhavea fear of anything?
Theyhavefun playing in the water.Theyhada good time in this pool
last week, too.
QuestionsPresent TensePast Tense
Do I have...Do we have...Did I have...Did we have...
Do you have...Do you have...Did you have...Did you have...
Does he have...Did he have...
Does she have...Do they have...Did she have...Did they
have...
Does it have...Did it have...
NegativesPresent Tense - Negativedo / does + not +main verbPast
Tense - Negativedid + not +main verb
I don't haveWe don't haveI didn't haveWe didn't have
You don't haveYou don't haveYou didn't haveYou didn't have
He doesn't haveHe didn't have
She doesn't haveThey don't haveShe didn't haveThey didn't
have
It doesn'tIt didn't have
It's important to understand in the examples above that the main
verb is in thesimpleform. You can make any verb negative in the
present and past tense with this method--but not the verb
"be."Below are examples of how to make the present and past tense
negative with verbs other than "have."
simplepast
havehad
eatate
seesaw
bewas / were
Today Idon't haveany work to do. (present tense)Yesterday
Ididn't haveany work to do. (past tense)I usuallydon't eata big
breakfast. (present tense)Yesterday Ididn't eata big breakfast.
(past tense)Idon't seemovies very often. (present tense)Ididn't
seethat movie yet. (past tense)The verb "have" is also used as an
auxiliary verb (or you can call it a "helping verb") when makingthe
present perfect tense.To make the present perfect:hasorhave+ the
past participleYou will learn more about this inLesson Three.
Hehas finishedhis beer.There isn't any beer left in the
glass.
Lesson Three:The Present Perfect TenseS + Has or Have +the Past
Participle
SingularPlural
I have livedWe have lived
You have livedYou have lived
He has lived
She has livedThey have lived
It has lived
(See thevideoat the bottom of the page.)The present perfect is
used for three reasons:1. To describe an action that goes from the
past up to the present moment.2. To describe an action that
occurred sometime in the past but the exact time is unknown.3. To
describe an action that was repeated many times in the past.4.
Contractions are usually used with this tense: I've lived, you've
lived, he's lived, she's lived, etc.
1.Ihave livedin Minnesota for 15 years.I've livedhere since
1991.
2. Youhave heardthis song before.You've listenedto a lot of
music, haven't you?
3. Shehas cleanedher bathroom twice this
week.She'salsocleanedher kitchen.(She's = she has)
Don't confuse the present perfect with the past tense. The
present perfect is used with unspecified periods of time in the
past or to show the passage of time. Here's an example of a
mistake:Shehas cleanedher bathroom yesterday.This mistake specifies
when she did something which you can only do with a past tense.
Here's the correction:Shecleanedher bathroom yesterday.Sometimes
people learning English use the past tense when they should use the
present perfect. Here's an example of three common
mistakes.Ilivedin Minnesota for 10 years.(ok but it sounds like he
is no longer there and lives in another place.)Iam livingin
Minnesota 10 years. (wrong)Ilivein Minnesota 10 years. (wrong)This
person wants to say that he moved to Minnesota 10 years ago and is
still there. In this case the present perfect is a good
choice:Ihave livedin Minnesota for 10 years. (correct!)or...Ihave
livedin Minnesota since 1996.Notice also thatforandsinceare often
used in the present perfect.Foris used with numbers of days, weeks,
months, years, centuries, etc., andsinceis used with specified
days, months and years.
Lesson FourThe Present Perfect Tense - NegativeS +have or has+
not +past participleSingularPlural
I have not workedWe have not worked
You have not workedYou have not worked
He has not worked
She has not workedThey have not worked
It has not worked
Notice the use of "has" for a man, a woman, or a thing.Also,
it's important to know theirregular past participles.Most Americans
use the contracted form:have + not = haven't / has + not =
hasn'tSingularPlural
I haven't workedWe haven't worked
You haven't workedYou haven't worked
He hasn't worked
She hasn't workedThey haven't worked
It hasn't worked
More Examples of the Present Perfect - NegativeIhave not beento
China.(contraction: Ihaven't beento China.)main verb: be
Youhave not beento China, either.(contraction:haven't been)main
verb: be
Hehas not playedthis game before. This is the first
time.(contraction:hasn't played)main verb: play
Shehas not cleanedthe bathroom in a week. Now she's cleaning
it.(contraction:hasn't cleaned)main verb: clean
The bananahas not turnedbrown yet. It's still
yellow.(contraction:hasn't turned)main verb: turn
Wehave not visitedChina. Never in our lives have we been
there.(contraction: haven't visited)main verb: visit and
been.Notice that you can also make the present perfect negative by
using "never."I + you = we
Youhave not finishedyour lunch yet.(contraction: haven't
finished)main verb: finish
Theyhave not marchedin the Minnesota State Fair Parade before.
This is their first time.(contraction: haven't marched)main verb:
march
Lesson FiveThe Present Perfect Tense - QuestionsHave or Has +
Subject +past participleSingularPlural
Have I seen...Have we seen...
Have you seen...Have you seen...
Has he seen...
Has she seen...Have they seen...
Has it seen...
In the example above, the verb "see" is in the present perfect
tense. "Seen" is the past participle for the verb "see."When you
begin a question with "have" or "has," the answer is
usuallyyesorno.
examples:Have I ever met you?(Answer: Yes, you have.)I
Have you lived in the United States long?(Answer: No, I
haven't.)you
Has he had any coffee yet this morning?(Answer: No, he
hasn't.)
Has she ridden a bike before?(Answer: Yes, she has.)
Has the goat eaten anything yet today?(Answer: No, it
hasn't.)
Have we known each other for a long time?(Answer: No, we
haven't. We've known each other for a short time.)
I + you = we
Have you ever traveled to China?(Answer: No, we haven't.)
Have they marched in this parade before?(Answer: No, they
haven't, but they have marched in other parades.)
Lesson SixThe Comparative Form for Adjectives
A lion ismore dangerous thana cat.A lion is alsobigger thana
cat.
The children playing with the blocks areyounger thanthe students
going to school.Here are some more examples:
Click to hear your teacher read the examples below: Saving money
this year has beenmore difficultthanlast year. Japanese cars are
muchbetter thanmost American cars. Spanish is aneasierlanguage to
learnthanEnglish.Note: It's not always necessary to use "than"
Compared to last year, saving money this year has beenmore
difficult. Compared to American cars, Japanese cars are muchbetter.
Compared to English, Spanish is aneasierlanguage.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -The comparative form
is used to show the difference between two things or two people,
two groups of things, or two groups of people.There are rules for
using the comparative form. The table below will help you.
The Comparative Form for Adjectives
One-syllable wordstwo-syllable words ending in ytwo syllables or
more not ending in y
adderdrop theyand addierusemore/ don't adder
bigbiggernoisynoisierdangerousmore dangerous
oldolderbusybusierexpensivemore expensive
nicenicercrazycraziercomfortablemore comfortable
youngyoungerlazylazierhumidmore humid
fastfasterfunnyfunniertiredmore tired
cheapcheaperdrydrieracceptablemore acceptable
There are some exceptions: good, bad, far, and fun are
adjectives that don't follow the rules when making the comparative
form.
goodbetterbadworsefarfarther
funmore fun
Never use two comparatives together on an adjective:more
cheapermore noisiermore olderClickhereto practice comparatives
Lesson SevenThe Superlative Form(differences in 3 + things or 3
+ people)Click to listen
The lion is the biggest animal.(There are three animals)The lion
is also the most dangerous of the three animals above.The
superlative form is used to show the difference among three or more
things or people in a group.There are rules for using the
superlative form. The table below will help you.
Superlatives
One-syllable wordstwo syllable words ending in ytwo syllables or
more not ending in y
add estdrop the y and ad iestuse most / don't add est
bigbiggestnoisynoisiestdangerousmost dangerous
oldoldestbusybusiestexpensivemost expensive
nicernicestcrazycraziestcomfortablemost comfortable
youngyoungestlazylaziesthumidmost humid
fastfastestfunnyfunniesttiredmost tired
cheapcheapestdrydriestacceptablemost acceptable
There are some exceptions: good, bad, far, and fun are
adjectives that don't follow the rules when making the comparative
form.
goodbestbadworstfarfarthest
funmost fun
Never use two superlatives together on an adjective:most
cheapestmost noisiestIt's often necessary to use "the" in front of
the superlative:Click to listenApples picked directly from a tree
tastethe best.
I hadthe most funat the state fair when I rode on the ferris
wheel.
Giraffes havethe longestnecks of any animal.
(Sometimes an article such as "the" isn't necessary when using
the superlative. Instead, you can use the possessive form in front
of the superlative.)Examples:This dog is her best friend.orHer best
friend is her dog.
Click here for a quizon comparatives and superlatives
Lesson EightThe Past Continuous TenseS + (be) + _____ingThe verb
"be" is in the past tense:wasorwereexamples:
Iwas relaxingoutside when this picture was taken
Youwere sittingin the classroom when this picture was taken.
Hewas shavingthis morning when he cut himself.
Shewas spinningaround and around before she fell down.
This elephantwasoutlookingfor food yesterday.
Wewere talkingtogether last week.(Now we're in two separate
locations.)
you + I = we
Youwere thinkingabout taking another English class this
year.
Theywere ridingon a big seven-person bicycle last week.
Lesson TenModal VerbsModal VerbPictureExample in a sentence
can:possibility and abilityClick herefor aYouTube videoThis
babycan crawl.I can crawlWe can crawl
You can crawlYou can crawl
He can crawl
She can crawlThey can crawl
It can crawl
negative contraction: can't crawl
will:futureClick herefor aYouTube videoHewill goto the beach
later today.I will goWe will go
You will goYou will go
He will go
She will goThey will go
It will go
negative contraction: won't go
shall:possibility and future possibilityThis sounds so formal
I'm going to recommend that you not use it.Shallis not popular.
(One less word to remember!)Your teacher recommends that you don't
use shall if your interest is in American English. 98 % of the
American public doesn't use it. It sounds very formal. In fact, it
sounds too formal. (blech!)
may:possiblity and permission1. (future possibility) Theymay
walktheir dogs this afternoon.2. (Asking permission)A: May I walk
your dog?B: Yes, you may.I may walkWe may walk
You may walkYou may walk
He may walk
She may walkThey may walk
It may walk
negative: may not walk (don't contract this one!)
could1. past tense of can--usually negative.2. possibility and
abilityWhen I went out to eat last night, Icouldn't readthe signs
because they were in Chinese.I could readWe could read
You could readYou could read
He could read
She could readThey could read
It could read
negative contraction: couldn't read
would:past tense of "will"Shewouldn't touchthe spider she saw
earlier this morning because she's afraid of them.I would touchWe
would touch
You would touchYou would touch
He would touch
She would touchThey would touch
It would touch
negative contraction: wouldn't touch
should:recommendation and good idea.(Related to "shall" but much
better and easier to use.)Heshould becareful on those rollerskates
because he could fall.I should beWe should be
You should beYou should be
He should be
She should beThey should be
It should be
negative contraction: shouldn't be
might:possibility(use instead of "may" in some cases)These
eggsmight breakwhen they hit the ground. In fact, they'll probably
break unless they land on something soft.I might breakWe might
break
You might breakYou might break
He might break
She might breakThey might break
It might break
negative: might not break (don't contract!)
must:necessary and importantTheymust attendthis important
meeting.I must attendWe must attend
You must attendYou must attend
He must attend
She must attendThey must attend
It must attend
negative: must not attend (a contraction here is okay, but it
sounds formal and it sounds British. Most Americans try not to
sound like they have a British accent, but you may use the
contraction if you want to)
Remember: Modal verbs are followed by the main verb in the
simple form.I mustgoHe mustbeThey shouldeatNOWTAKE A QUIZHere
arethe answers for the quizon video.
Next:Lesson Eleven
Lesson TenModal VerbsModal VerbPictureExample in a sentence
can:possibility and abilityClick herefor aYouTube videoThis
babycan crawl.I can crawlWe can crawl
You can crawlYou can crawl
He can crawl
She can crawlThey can crawl
It can crawl
negative contraction: can't crawl
will:futureClick herefor aYouTube videoHewill goto the beach
later today.I will goWe will go
You will goYou will go
He will go
She will goThey will go
It will go
negative contraction: won't go
shall:possibility and future possibilityThis sounds so formal
I'm going to recommend that you not use it.Shallis not popular.
(One less word to remember!)Your teacher recommends that you don't
use shall if your interest is in American English. 98 % of the
American public doesn't use it. It sounds very formal. In fact, it
sounds too formal. (blech!)
may:possiblity and permission1. (future possibility) Theymay
walktheir dogs this afternoon.2. (Asking permission)A: May I walk
your dog?B: Yes, you may.I may walkWe may walk
You may walkYou may walk
He may walk
She may walkThey may walk
It may walk
negative: may not walk (don't contract this one!)
could1. past tense of can--usually negative.2. possibility and
abilityWhen I went out to eat last night, Icouldn't readthe signs
because they were in Chinese.I could readWe could read
You could readYou could read
He could read
She could readThey could read
It could read
negative contraction: couldn't read
would:past tense of "will"Shewouldn't touchthe spider she saw
earlier this morning because she's afraid of them.I would touchWe
would touch
You would touchYou would touch
He would touch
She would touchThey would touch
It would touch
negative contraction: wouldn't touch
should:recommendation and good idea.(Related to "shall" but much
better and easier to use.)Heshould becareful on those rollerskates
because he could fall.I should beWe should be
You should beYou should be
He should be
She should beThey should be
It should be
negative contraction: shouldn't be
might:possibility(use instead of "may" in some cases)These
eggsmight breakwhen they hit the ground. In fact, they'll probably
break unless they land on something soft.I might breakWe might
break
You might breakYou might break
He might break
She might breakThey might break
It might break
negative: might not break (don't contract!)
must:necessary and importantTheymust attendthis important
meeting.I must attendWe must attend
You must attendYou must attend
He must attend
She must attendThey must attend
It must attend
negative: must not attend (a contraction here is okay, but it
sounds formal and it sounds British. Most Americans try not to
sound like they have a British accent, but you may use the
contraction if you want to)
Remember: Modal verbs are followed by the main verb in the
simple form.I mustgoHe mustbeThey shouldeatNOWTAKE A QUIZHere
arethe answers for the quizon video.
Next:Lesson Eleven
Lesson ElevenIdiomatic ModalsThese verb phrases are a little
unusual and sometimes hard to use:Idiomatic ModalPictureExample in
a sentence
(be) going tofuture(similar to "will")(scroll down for video
lessons)They're going to do some work in their garden.Main verb is
in the simple formS + (be) going to _______I am going to doWe are
going to do
You are going to doYou are going to do
He is going to do
She is going to doThey are going to do
It is going to do
negative: (be) + not + going toamnot /isn't /aren't going to
(be) able topossibility(similar to "can")A penguin is a bird
that is also able to swim.Main verb is in the simple formS + (be)
able to _________I am able to swimWe are able to swim
You are able to swimYou are able to swim
He is able to swim
She is able to swiimThey are able to swim
It is able to swim
negative: (be) + not + able toamnot /isn't /aren't able to
have tonecessity(similar to "must")She has to clean the
bathroom. She also has to do some other chores around the
house.Main verb is in the simple formS + has or have to ________I
have to cleanWe have to clean
You have to cleanYou have to clean
He has to clean
She has to cleanThey have to clean
It has to clean
Negative: don't/doesn't have toNotice the negative requires the
verb "do"
Lesson TwelvePerfect Modal Verbsmodal verb + have + past
participlePerfect ModalPicturesentence
could have _____couldn't have _____past abilityThe boycould have
donethe dishes himself, but his father decided to help.
should have ____shouldn't have ____You did or didn't do
something that was a good idea.The girlshouldn't have spunaround so
many times. She fell down.spin: turn around many times.spin / spun
/ spun
would have ____wouldn't have ____past condition /past
situationThis house of cardswould have fallenover if the person who
built it hadn't been so careful.
may have _____may not have _____past possibilityMy
grandfathermay have usedthis camera when he was a young man, but
I'm not sure.
might have ______might not have _____past possibilityHer
mothermight have putmustard on her sandwich. She hopes not.
must have ____must not have ___past probability.This indicates
that something probably happened in the past.Theymust have
practiceda lot because they're very good musicians.
Let's not forget...The Future Perfect TenseUnlike all the other
modals above,willis used for the future:Subject + will + have +
past participleSingularPlural
I will have livedWe will have lived
You will have livedYou will have lived
He will have lived
She will have livedThey will have lived
It will have lived
This is a difficult tense to use. It describes an action that
will be completed in the future.For example:I moved to Minnesota in
1991. The year now is 2008.By 2011, Iwill have livedin Minnesota
for 20 years.
Lesson ThirteenThe Present Perfect Continuous Tense
Subject + has / have + been + _______ingThis is similar to the
present perfect tense except that the action is continuous. It
describes something that starts in the past and continues into the
present.
Ihave been teachingEnglish for almost 20 years.I started
teaching English 20 years ago.I'm still teaching English now.
Youhave been studyingEnglish.How longhaveyoubeen studying?
He's been playingthe guitar for about an hour.(He's = He
has)
She's been talkingon the phone with her mother for 40
minutes.She started the conversation 40 minutes ago.She's still
talking now.
The cathas been singingall night.
We've been workingtogether.(We've = We have)
You've been ridingon the bus since 10 a.m. It's now 10:40 a.m.
and you're still traveling to your destination.(You've = You
have)
These appleshave been growingall summer and now they're ripe and
ready to be picked. They look delicious.
Lesson FourteenPerfect Modals Continuouscould should would may
might+ have been ______ing
Icould have been livingin Los Angeles if I hadn't moved to
Chicago.Theyshould have been doingtheir homework at the time that I
called.Hewould have been workingat that company if he hadn't been
laid off.Youmight have been thinkingI was much older.
This is a diffficult modal form for beginning and intermediate
level students. In this case, you're describing something that was
possible in the past; however; another event emerged and forever
altered the past. Don't worry about mastering this right now, but
listen to how Americans use it--whether correctly or not.
This penquincould have been swimmingin Antarctica today if he
hadn't been captured there two years ago.
Theyshould have been takinga test but instead they skipped
school and went to a malt shop.
Hewould have been workingin a bank if he hadn't decided to
become a beekeeper.
Hemight have been thinkingit was earlier. Now he realizes he's
late for a meeting.(This helps describe problems with perception of
time.)
To make the negative, add"not"to the modal:I shouldn'thave been
working so late last night. (but I did)
Lesson FifteenThe Past Perfect TenseThe past perfect tense is
usually used with two past actions. The verb in the past perfect
shows the first past action.Ihad seenthat movie before but
Iforgotwhat happened in it.First verb:see; Second verb:forgetThe
word order can be changed but it doesn't change the
meaning:Iforgotthat Ihad seenthat movie.NOTE: Many Americans don't
use this tense properly.see/saw/seenforget/forgot/forgotten
SingularPlural
I had seenWe had seen
You had seenYou had seen
He had seen
She had seenThey had seen
It had seen
examplesHehadalreadystartedto make breakfast before his wifewoke
up.(alreadyis frequently used with perfect tenses. It usually
appears between the auxiliary verb and the main verb:
hadalreadystarted)
This househad been paintedyellow before they changed it to
pink.Notice that the past perfect tense here is in the passive
voice. The passive past tense is formed like this:The housewas
paintedyellow before they changed it to pink.Often using the past
tense instead of the past perfect tense is acceptable.Past perfect
passive:had + been + (past participle)Ithad been paintedyellow. Now
it's pink.
Theyhad workedandsaveda lot of money before theyretiredlast
year.They'd hadno idea how muchthey'denjoy their retirement.NOTE:
When the verb "have" is in the past perfect it looks likehad
hadwhich is a little confusing)(they'd = they would)
If you need more help understanding the past perfect tense,
Lesson SeventeenThe Present Perfect Continuous Tense and the
Past Perfect Continuous TenseWe have studied the present perfect
continuous tensebefore,but here it is again one more time:S + has
or have + been + _______ingIhave been ridingthe same bike for the
last eight years.SingularPlural
I have been ridingWe have been riding
You have been ridingYou have been riding
He has been riding
She has been ridingThey have been riding
It has been riding
....and the past perfect continuous here for the first time:S +
had + been + ______ingSingularPlural
I had been workingWe had been working
You had been workingYou had been working
He had been working
She had been workingThey had been working
It had been working
IIn the pictures below, notice the words with the "ing" endings.
Those are the main verbs in continuous forms.I had been working on
my house all day before I sat down to play my guitar.I have been
studying the guitar for many years.
After you had been working all day, you went home to study
English on the internet. You have been studying English for only a
few years.
Hehad been havinga good day until a thief came into his
apartment, took all his money, and tied him up.
Shehad been swimmingfor a long time before she got out of the
pool.
This little penguinhad been livingin Antarctica before he was
captured and brought to this zoo.
Wehad been communicatingwith each other online before we stopped
to take a break.Wehave been usingthe internet as a means for
communication for many years.
I + you = we
Youhad been playingsoccer but then your friend came by and you
stopped.
Theyhad been workingfor many years, but then they retired.
Lesson EighteenPrepositional PhrasesThe womanin the blue coatis
lookingfor her dog. The above sentence contains twoprepositional
phrases:"in the blue coat"and "for her dog."A prepositional phrase
begins with a preposition, such as"in"or"for"and ends witha noun.
There are hundreds of different prepositions, so they are very
commonly used and very important to understand. Why are
prepositional phrases important? They provide important information
on location, descriptions of people and things, relationships,
time, and ideas.The best way to learn how to use prepositional
phrases is to read English. Over time you will learn how they are
used and which ones to use. Below are some examples.
She spilled coffeeon her report for class.prepositional
phrases:on her reportandfor classIn this example the prepositional
phrases provide important information about where something
happened and the reason for her concern.
There are two childrenon a sled.
In this gardenthere are many strawberries.
She likes to spend a lot of timewith her baby.
He's standingbehind a tree.
My bike is leaningagainst the shed.I get to schoolon my
bike.
Lesson NineteenThe Future Continuous TenseS + will + be +
______ingLet's conjugate the verb "work"SingularPlural
I will be workingWe will be working
You will be workingYou will be working
He will be working
She will be workingThey will be working
It will be working
In the pictures below, notice the words with the "ing"
endings.Those are the main verbs in continuous forms.I will be
working on my computer later today.
You will be learning English at your computer after work.
Hewill be havinga birthday party tomorrow for his daughter who
turns three.
She'll be goingto a new school next year where she'll be
studying English and French.
This little penguin wll be living in this zoo for a very long
time.
We will be going online to communicate with each other.
I + you = we
You will be playing soccer this weekend.
They will be retiring in a few years.(main verb: retire.When
people reach 65 years of age in the U.S., they usually stop
working)
Lesson TwentyHeight and WeightHeightTo learn the height of a
thing or things:
SingularPlural
How tall is it?How tall are they?
What's the height?How high are they?
How many stories is it? (for one building)---
To learn the height of a person:
SingularPlural
How tall are you?How tall are they?
What's your height?---
Height is not as sensitive a topic as weight in the U.S. It's
okay to ask about a person's height but not a person's weight.
Q: What's your height?A: I'm 5 feet, 4 inches tall.I ask a
questionYou give an answer.
Q: How tall are you?A: I'm 5 feet, 11 inches tall.or...A: I'm 5'
11"You ask a question.I give an answer.
Q: What's his height?A: He's six one. (It's possible to
eliminate the use of "feet" or "inches" completely.
Q: How tall is she?A: She doesn't know. She has to measure
herself.
Q: How tall is that apartment building?A: It's three stories
tall.
Q: How tall are these stones?A: They're about 15 feet high.
Q: How tall are those skyscrapers?A: They're over 40 stories
tall.
WeightTo learn the weight of a thing or things:
SingularPlural
How much does this weigh?How much do these weigh?
What does this weigh?What do these weigh?
How heavy is this?How heavy are these?
To learn the weight of a person:
SingularPlural
How much do you weigh?
How much does he/she weigh?How much do they weigh?
What's your weight?What's their weight?
Don't say:How much pounds?What weight is it?It's possible to
ask, "How much do I weigh?" or "What's my weight?" But in most
situations it isn't necessary unless you are repeating another
person's question. The examples below might help:
Q: How much do I weigh?A: I don't know.Why don't you weigh
yourself?Iask a question.You give an answer.
Q: How much do you weigh?A: I weigh 191 pounds.Youask a
question.I give an answer.
Q: What does he weigh?A: He weighs about 175 pounds.
Q: How much does she weigh?A: She doesn't know. She has to weigh
herself.
Q: How heavy is this?A: It's about 10 pounds.
Q: How heavy are these stones?A: They're very heavy.
Q: How much do these apples weigh?A: They're almost four
pounds.
Next:Lesson Twenty-One
Lesson Twenty-oneAdverbsAdverbs describe verbs, adjectives, and
other adverbs. They describehow,how often,where,when, andto what
degreesomething happens.
Adverbs often end in "ly"The train is movingquicklythrough the
subway.("Quickly" describes how the train moves. "Move" is a
verb.)
The turtle is crawling through the grass veryslowly.("Slowly"
describes how the turtle crawls. "Crawl" is a verb.)
He'susuallylate to work.("Usually" is an adverb of frequency
that describes an adjective--"late.")
Herarelybuysthings that are not on sale. He likes to save
money.("Rarely" is an adverb of frequency that describes
theverb"buy.")
The water isveryhot.("Very" is an adverb that describes the
adjective "hot.")The water istoohot.(very, too, really, so,
extremely, etc. are adverbs that describe adjectives.)
She's entering the hot tubverycarefully.("Very" is an adverb
that describes another adverb "carefully." The word "carefully"
describes the verb, "enter.")
Lesson Twenty-twoComparative AdverbsAdverbs in the comparative
form describe verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs.
Adverbs usually end in "ly"Making the comparative form for
adverbs is not as easy as making the comparative form for
adjectives. Remember, most adverbs end in "ly," so most adverbs are
two-syllable words; therefore, you will usually use "more" in front
of the adverb to make the comparison.Many Americans ignore the
rules for comparative adverbs, but you should still learn how to
use them properly.
A subway train can get you through the citymorequicklythan a
bus.("more quickly" describes the verb "get." "Get" is a verb.)
A laptop computer allows her to do her workmore efficiently.
Barack Obama campaignedmore skillfullythan his opponents, and
that's one reason why he won his election.
Some adverbs have only one syllable and don't add
"ly."fast,hard,soon, high She worksfasterthan he does. He can
reachhigherthan she can. They'll finish their worksoonerthan they
did last week
The opposite of "more" is "less."He isless easilydisturbed by
her behavior than he was in the past.
Lesson Twenty-threeSuperlative AdverbsAdverbs in the superlative
form describe verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs.
Adverbs usually end in "ly"Making the superlative form for
adverbs is even more difficult thanthe comparative form. Many
Americans avoid doing it, so you might not hear it used very
often.
He rides his bikemost frequentlyin the morning.
I work at school and at home during the week, but I workmost
comfortablyat my desk on the weekend.
She ismost likelyto become a doctor after she finishes med
school.
Birds singmost beautifullyin the morning.
Some adverbs don't use "ly" endings. For these words, just add
"est." They play well together, but they playbestwhen they're under
pressure. They perform theworston the field when they don't
practice. John is thehardestworking player on the team. Burt runs
thefastest, so he's a wide receiver.
Lesson Twenty-fourIntensifiersSome adverbs are used with
adjectives and other adverbs. Examples in this lesson are called
"intensifiers." Intensifiers provide greater depth of meaning for
the words they describe.
Some common intensifiers aresomewhat, surely, highly, certainly,
very, extremely, quite, such,extraordinarily, andtremendously.
There are others, but these are a good start if you are new to
using them.
This is anextremelyunusual bike.The word "extremely" is an
intensifier for the adjective "unusual."
Ihighlyrecommend the bakery we used for Heidi's birthday cake.
They did a great job.
That'squitean unusual color for a house.
Wesurelygot a lot of snow last night.
Setting a mousetrap with cheese is anextraordinarilygood way to
catch a mouse.
Ted's girlfriend, Linda,certainlyis beautiful.
In each of the examples above, the intensifier can be taken out
of the sentence without changing the meaning very much:Ted's
girlfriend, Linda, is beautiful.
Yellow LevelReview Write your answers by hand.Complete each
short answer with the correct subject and helping (auxiliary)
verb:1. A: Did she have a big wedding?B: Yes, she ________
________.2. A: Were there a lot of people there?B: Yes, ________
_________.3. A: Have you ever been to a wedding?B:Yes, ________
________.
Complete each sentence in thepast tense:4. They _________ the
wedding in this church. (have)5. They _________ over 100 people.
(invite)6. They ________ ________ any problems during the ceremony.
(have -- negative)7. Almost everyone ________ to the reception
after the wedding. (go)
Complete each sentence or question in thepresent perfect
tense:8. A: _________youever ________ a bike like this one? (see)9.
B: No, ________ ________.10. How long ________ Paul ________ this
bike? (have)11. He _______ ________ it for five years. (have)
Complete each sentence or question in thepresent perfecttense.
(Click and listento the video first.)12. A: ________ he ever
________ on a conference bike? (ride)13. B: No, ________
________.14. His friends ________ never ________ on a conference
bike either. (be)
Complete each sentence or question in thepresent perfect
tense:15. How many times ________ she ______ to downtown
MInneapolis? (be)16. She ________ ________ there many times.
(be)17. Some of her friends, however, _______ never ________
downtown before. (go)
Complete each sentence with the correctcomparative adjective.
Some sentences require the use of "than." Others don't.18. The
celery at this store is _________ _______the stuff we bought last
week. (fresh)19. Compared to that other store, this one is
__________ __________. (expensive)20. This organic celery is a
________ green color _________ the nonorganic celery. (dark)21.
This celery is also ________. (crispy)22. Does it taste _________?
(good)22. Or does it taste _________? (bad)
Complete each sentence with the correctsuperlative adjective.
Don't forget to use "the" when necessary.23. The doctor I have now
is ________ ________ one I've ever had. (good)24. The last
examination I had was _____ ________ __________ I've ever had.
Probably because I'm older. (thorough*)25. The clinic we visited
was _______ ________ we have ever been to. (big)26. However, it's
not ________ ________ place to find. (easy)27. Minnesota is one of
_______ _______ places to live in the U.S. (healthy)28. It's also
one of ________ ________ states to live in. (cold)*thorough=
complete; full
Complete each sentence or question withthe past continuous
tense:29. What ________ they ________ yesterday? (do)30. They
_________ __________ all afternoon. (sled)31. Who ________
____________ them? (watch)31. Their parents _________ _________
them. (watch)32. A: ________ it __________ at the time? (snow)33.
B: No, _______ ________.
Complete each sentence or question with themodal verb"should"
and the main verb:34. How ________ I ________ this cabbage?
(cook)35. You ________ _________ it for about twenty-five minutes.
(boil)36. ________ we ________ anything else for dinner? (make --
negative)37. Yes, we ________ _________ a chicken and some
potatoes. (roast)
Complete each sentence or question with the "going to"
future:38. A: Who _______ you ______ ______ _______? (call, "going
to" future)39. B: I _______ _______ ______ ______ Angela. (call,
future)
Complete each sentence withperfect modals"should" or "might" +
the main verb.40. You ________ ________ ________ to get ahold of
her earlier. (try)Why?42. She ________ ________ _______ her
apartment already. (leave)
Use thepresent perfect continuoustense to complete theses
sentences and questions:43. How long ________ they ________
__________ this bike? (ride)44. They _______ ________ _______ the
bike for the last thirty minutes. (ride)
Use "should" or "might" + the main verb in theperfect
continuousform:Why didn't he answer the phone?45. I don't know. He
________ ________ _________ ________ a nap. (take)46. Really?
________ he _______ ________ _________on something at home? (work
-- negative)
47 - 50.Complete each sentence or question in thepast perfect
tense:47. She ________ _________ Minneapolis when she was a little
girl, but she forgot about the trip. (visit)
48. Scientists _______ ________ that tigers would be safe from
extinction, but now--due to human activity--they believe that the
extinction of the species in the wild is inevitable. (think)49. If
human beings ________ ________ a more thoughtful approach to their
use of land, air, and water, some animal species wouldn't be faced
with the possibility of extinction. (take)
50. I wish I ________ ________ a colander to drain the noodles.
It would have been easier. (use)
Yellow LevelReview ANSWERSComplete each short answer with the
correct subject and helping (auxiliary) verb:1. A: Did she have a
big wedding?B: Yes, sheshe did.2. A: Were there a lot of people
there?B: Yes,there were.3. A: Have you ever been to a
wedding?B:Yes,I have.
Complete each sentence in thepast tense:4. Theyhadthe wedding in
this church. (have)5. Theyinvitedover 100 people. (invite)6.
Theydidn't haveany problems during the ceremony. (have --
negative)7. Almost everyonewentto the reception after the wedding.
(go)
Complete each sentence or question in thepresent perfect
tense:8. A:Haveyoueverseena bike like this one? (see)9. B: No,I
haven't.10. How longhasPaulhadthis bike? (have)11. Hehas hadit for
five years. (have)or....He's hadit for five years. (have)
Complete each sentence or question in thepresent perfecttense.
(Click and listento the video first.)12. A:Hashe everriddenon a
conference bike? (ride)13. B: No,he hasn't.14. His
friendshaveneverbeenon a conference bike either. (be)
Complete each sentence or question in thepresent perfect
tense:15. How many timeshasshebeento downtown MInneapolis? (be)16.
Shehas beenthere many times. (be)17. Some of her friends,
however,havenevergonedowntown before. (go)
Complete each sentence with the correctcomparative adjective.
Some sentences require the use of "than." Others don't.18. The
celery at this store isfresher thanthe stuff we bought last week.
(fresh)19. Compared to that other store, this one ismore expensive.
(expensive)20. This organic celery is adarkergreen colorthanthe
nonorganic celery. (dark)21. This celery is alsocrispier.
(crispy)22. Does it tastebetter? (good)22. Or does it tasteworse?
(bad)(Be careful with the word "worse." It's used when both things
or people are bad.)
Complete each sentence with the correctsuperlative adjective.
Don't forget to use "the" when necessary.23. The doctor I have now
isthe bestone I've ever had. (good)24. The last examination I had
wasthe most thoroughI've ever had. Probably because I'm older.
(thorough*)25. The clinic we visited wasthe biggestwe have ever
been to. (big)26. However, it's notthe easiestplace to find.
(easy)27. Minnesota is one ofthe healthiestplaces to live in the
U.S. (healthy)28. It's also one ofthe coldeststates to live in.
(cold)*thorough= complete; full
Complete each sentence or question withthe past continuous
tense:29. Whatweretheydoingyesterday? (do)30. Theywere sleddingall
afternoon. (sled)31. Whowas watchingthem? (watch)31. Their
parentswere watchingthem. (watch)32. A:Wasitsnowingat the time?
(snow)33. B: No,it wasn't.
Complete each sentence or question with themodal verb"should"
and the main verb:34. HowshouldIcookthis cabbage? (cook)35.
Youshould boilit for about twenty-five minutes.
(boil)36.Shouldn'twemakeanything else for dinner? (make --
negative)37. Yes, weshould roasta chicken and some potatoes.
(roast)
Complete each sentence or question with the "going to"
future:38. A: Whoareyougoing to call? (call, "going to" future)39.
B: I'm going to callAngela. (call, future)
Complete each sentence withperfect modals"should" or "might" +
the main verb.40. Youshould have triedto get ahold of her earlier.
(try)Why?42. Shemight have lefther apartment already.
(leave)Angela
Use thepresent perfect continuoustense to complete theses
sentences and questions:43. How longhavetheybeen ridingthis bike?
(ride)44. Theyhave been ridingthe bike for the last thirty minutes.
(ride)
Use "should" or "might" + the main verb in theperfect
continuousform:Why didn't he answer the phone?45. I don't know.
Hemight have been takinga nap. (take)46. Really?Shouldn'thehave
been workingon something at home? (work -- negative)
47 - 50.Complete each sentence or question in thepast perfect
tense:47. Shehad visitedMinneapolis when she was a little girl, but
she forgot about the trip. (visit)
48. Scientistshad thoughtthat tigers would be safe from
extinction, but now--due to human activity--they believe that the
extinction of the species in the wild is inevitable. (think)49. If
human beingshad takena more thoughtful approach to their use of
land, air, and water, some animal species wouldn't be faced with
the possibility of extinction. (take)
50. I wish Ihad useda colander to drain the noodles. It would
have been easier. (use)
Yellow LevelReview, Part 2 Write your answers by hand.Change
direct speech to indirect speech.1. What did the boss say?He
said...1. _____________________________.1. "Everyone can go home
early today, " said the boss.
Change direct speech to indirect speech.2. What did she say?She
said....2. ______________________________.2. "I'll call my husband
after I get off of the phone," she said.
Change direct speech to indirect speech.3. What did she say?She
said...3. ____________________________.4. What did she say?She
said...4. ____________________________.3. "I'm going to a party
tonight with my friends, "she said.4. "I have the address," she
said.
Change direct speech to indirect speech.5. What did he say?He
said...5. _____________________________.5. "I need to fix my bike
tomorrow," he said.
Complete each sentence or question in thepast perfect continuous
tense:6. She ______ _______ _______ for a bank before she got a job
with a law firm. (work)7. The company she worked at before ______
_______ ________ her with health insurance. (provide)
Write out each sentence and underline theprepositional
phrases.8. There's nothing in his apartment.9. He's sitting with
his back against the wall.10. Tomorrow he might go to a store to
get some furniture.
Complete each sentence with the future continuous tense.11.
Instead of walking, he ______ _______ ________ on his skateboard.
(riding)12. He _______ ________ ________ us until much later. (meet
-- negative)
Complete each question or sentence with the future continuous
tense.13. What _______ we _____ ________ for dinner tonight?
(having)14. We _______ ________ _________ pizza. (order)
Use the adverb provided in the comparative form:15. You have to
handle eggs ______ ________ than other food items because they
might break. (careful)
Use the adverb provided in the comparative form:16. Clothes dry
__________ when the sun comes out. (fast)
Use the adverb provided in the superlative form:17. She performs
_________ when she's under pressure. (good)18. She's the ________
_________ gifted member of her family. (athletic)
Use"highly" or "certainly" to complete these sentences:19. He
___________ is a beautiful baby.20. The doctor __________
recommends breast milk for the baby.
Yellow LevelReview, Part 2 ANSWERSChange direct speech to
indirect speech.1. What did the boss say?He said...1.He said that*
everyone could go home early today.*"that" is optional -- You could
also say this without "that":He said everyone could go home early
today.1. "Everyone can go home early today, " said the boss.
Change direct speech to indirect speech.2. What did she say?She
said....2.She said that she would call her husband after she got
off of the phone.2. "I'll call my husband after I get off of the
phone," she said.
Change direct speech to indirect speech.3. What did she say?She
said...3.She said that she was going to a party tonight with her
friends.4. What did she say?She said...4.She said that she had the
address.3. "I'm going to a party tonight with my friends, "she
said.4. "I have the address," she said.
Change direct speech to indirect speech.5. What did he say?He
said...5.He said that he needed to fix his bike tomorrow.5. "I need
to fix my bike tomorrow," he said.
Complete each sentence or question in thepast perfect continuous
tense:6. Shehad been workingfor a bank before she got a job with a
law firm. (work)7. The company she worked at beforehad been
providingher with health insurance. (provide)
Write out each sentence and underline theprepositional
phrases.8. There's nothingin his apartment.9. He's sittingwith his
backagainst the wall.10. Tomorrow he might goto a storeto get some
furniture.
Complete each sentence with thefuture continuous tense.11.
Instead of walking, hewill be ridingon his skateboard. (riding)12.
Hewon't be meetingus until much later. (meet -- negative)
Complete each question or sentence with the future continuous
tense.13. Whatwillwebe havingfor dinner tonight? (having)14. Wewill
be orderingpizza. (order)
Use the adverb provided in thecomparative form:15. You have to
handle eggsmore carefullythan other food items because they might
break. (careful)
Use the adverb provided in the comparative form:16. Clothes
dryfasterwhen the sun comes out. (fast)
Use the adverb provided in thesuperlative form:17. She
performsbestwhen she's under pressure. (good)18. She's themost
athleticallygifted member of her family. (athletic)
Use"highly" or "certainly" to complete these sentences:19.
Hecertainlyis a beautiful baby.20. The doctorhighlyrecommends
breast milk for the baby.